Becky Rudolph: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Becky Rudolph

City: Naperville

Office sought: Member of D203 School Board

Age: 55

Family: Married, three children

Occupation: Patent Agent

Education: BS in Computer Engineering from University of Illinois

Civic involvement: Several Home & School positions including President, VP; Girl and Boy Scouts; Church: Religious Ed teacher, Bible School Coordinator, Strategic Action Team, other committees.

Previous elected offices held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? No

Website: www.VoteBeckyRudolph.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteBeckyRudolph/

Twitter: -

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your district and how do you intend to address them?

Mental health is a concern for anyone working with students. While programs for individualized help are important, I believe an overall focus on student accountability and emphasizing that students have control over their decisions, both good and bad, will improve their resilience and mental health throughout life. Schools can support this with things like firm due dates and consistent, meaningful feedback. Another issue is monitoring our use of data, from collecting it, evaluating it and storing it with vendors. We need to make sure the data we ask teachers to collect is useful to them in assessing and motivating students. We also need to make sure data we store in the cloud is protected, both now and in the future. A third issue is managing our money carefully so we can maintain the excellence of our school system in the face of current uncertainty in our state finances. A comparison of spending per student vs achievement in school districts across the state has shown that more money does not guarantee improved results. I believe we need to find creative solutions to meet student needs.

How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether it be from elementary into high school or high school into college or full-time employment? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?

Our school district is doing a good job with a majority of our students. There is always room for improvement but in my 20 years of experience in the District, I have seen that we have talented staff and administrators who are committed to providing an excellent education for students at all grade levels. Teachers and counselors at the high school level are regularly involved in helping students pick from the wide range of courses available, including many in vocational and career areas. We also provide business partnerships, job shadowing and internships to encourage students to make informed decisions. It is the responsibility of both parents and teachers to work together to help our students learn that they need to be invested in their future.

What budgetary issues will your district have to confront during the next four years and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, be specific about programs and expenses that should be considered for reduction or elimination. On the income side, do you support any tax increases? Be specific.

I believe the biggest budgetary issue facing the district is uncertainty at the state level, whether the imposition of unfunded mandates, transfer of pension obligations to local districts, or tax and regulatory decisions that drive out businesses and reduce property tax revenues. The key to keeping budgets in control is considering the initiation of new programs such as the Breakfast Pilot program and other initiatives carefully. During my time in the school district, I have seen that once programs are in place, they are very difficult to cut. Our annual levy should carefully consider inflation and balance the need to maintain district resources with respect for taxpayers. I currently see no need for a referendum.

Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?

No

As contract talks come up with various school employee groups - teachers, support staff, etc. - what posture should the school board take? Do you believe the district should ask for concessions from its employees, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?

When it comes to contract negotiations, I believe the school board should focus on best allocating the resources we have available based on a rigorous understanding of expected revenue. The goal should be maintaining a balanced budget and long-term financial viability for the district. If this starts to impact our ability to hire and retain good employees, I am comfortable asking the community for more resources. This is preferable to overpromising in contracts, then being forced into a "pass a referendum or programs will be cut" situation that isn't respectful to parents, students or taxpayers.

If your district had a superintendent or other administrator nearing retirement, would you support a substantial increase in his or her pay to help boost pension benefits? Why or why not?

No. Defined benefit public sector pensions are generous, with recipients often receiving much more in payments during their retirement than the total amount deducted from their paychecks while employed. This is especially true for the salary ranges typical for superintendents and administrators. Increasing pension benefits in this way also comes with a cost due to a 2005 state law that assesses penalties to local school boards for giving out end-of-career raises greater than 6 percent. Legislation passed in 2018 reduced the cap to 3 percent. We should avoid paying these penalties in order to be a responsible steward of taxpayer money.